A health worker fumigates a residential area to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. (Express Photo: Abhinav Saha, File) Pune recorded 86 dengue cases in July, the highest count in a month so far this year, according to officials at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).
Dr Sanjeev Wavare, Assistant Health Chief of Pune Municipal Corporation, told The Indian Express that 136 cases of vector-borne diseases — 86 cases of dengue and 50 cases of chikungunya — were detected in the city. No deaths were reported so far, he added.
Between January and July, 117 out of the 1169 samples tested positive for dengue viral fever.
There has been a rise in dengue cases this year after 2020 saw only 183 cases. In 2019, as many as 1407 confirmed cases of dengue and ten deaths were reported.
“Despite the high number of Covid cases last year, we were able to detect 183 cases of dengue mainly from September to December,” Dr Wavare said.
Dengue fever is caused by the aedes aegypti mosquito that breeds in clean standing water. Dr Wavare, who also heads the vector-borne disease control programme, urged citizens to exercise precautions during monsoon as water accumulation provides a breeding ground for the mosquitoes. Civic health officials admitted that water can get accumulated due to improper levelling of roads and said that they are taking measures to tackle the menace.
Dr Pavan Salve, additional medical officer of health, said that they have stepped up active surveillance. “This is breeding season and we have also urged citizens to actively identify mosquito breeding spots and destroy them. They should also inform about such breedings spots at the ward office level,” he said.
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